1. Technical Field
This invention relates to animal marking systems. In one of its aspects, the invention relates to an animal marking system having replaceable and reusable marking indicia visible from each side of the animal.
2. Background Art
In modern diary herd management, animal marking systems are important to keep accurate records of each animal from the time it is acquired to the time it is removed from the herd. Currently, it is conventional to assign to each animal in the herd an identification number and to apply such number to a tag which is worn by the animal at the brisket or at the base of the lower neck. Records of the ancestry of each animal and current records as to lactation condition and gestation cycles of each animal are also kept. With this system, one must approach the animal and perhaps come within arm's length of the animal in order to read the identification tag. With a herd of 50-100 animals, the process of finding a particular animal or for identifying a particular animal in a herd is tedious and time consuming. Further, the current identification tags do not indicate the gestation and lactation or health conditions of the animal.
The U.S. patent to Estep, U.S. Pat. No. 3,360,877, issued Aug. 11, 1953, discloses a marking system for an animal wherein a tag secured to the animal through a chain around the animal's neck has applied thereto pressure-sensitive tape with numerals.
The patent to Wittcke et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,058, issued Mar. 21, 1972, discloses an animal marking and identification tag for farm animals wherein the tag comprising a flat, plastic body bears a permanent identification of the animal and has a window behind which a rotatable disc with a number is displayed. The number is used to indicate variable conditions or requirements such as the amount of food to be apportioned to the cow during milking periods. Further, a set of pegs with distinctively-shaped and/or color heads and with shanks removably received in openings of the plate indicate data on recurring events such as breeding. The tags apparently are distroyed when removed from the plate openings. The tag is said to be affixed to the neck strap or a skin-fold of the cow.
The problem with both the Estep and Wittcke systems is that the tags are usually visible only in close proximity to the animal and then only from one orientation, namely from directly in front of the animal. Further distruction of the color-coded pegs when the cow's condition changes is undesirable.